BMWMCCACT News - February 2019

Please join me in welcoming our newest members Greg Chesher (K100RS) along with Alexander & Alicia Balas (F650GS Dakar) and make sure to say hello when you meet on their first and at your next event.

Current members will have received their invitation to renew their ongoing membership with the Club for 2019. Okay this might have looked like an invoice but the Club fiscal year ends on 28 February 2019. At only $40 per annum this offers great value and I encourage each of you to continue your active membership with the Club. New members from late 2018 have complimentary membership through to 28 February 2020. Please email Membership Mike Kelly membership@bmwmccact.org.au if you are not sure of your membership status. If you are a current member and do not renew, then your access to the website and automated emails will stop in early March - so renew NOW.

The Club has Single, Joint, Joint+ and Life memberships. The first and last are straight forward but there is a difference between Joint (1 email address) and Joint+ (2 email addresses). So if your partner wants all the Club emails and who wouldn't, then send an email to Mike as this requires some behind the scenes admin work to make sure you and partner are not paying twice for the one membership. Include your name, partners name and email address. The primary member must be and remain a current financial member of the Club for the Joint+ membership.

You may be thinking of not renewing. That's fine as we all have changes in our lives and riding opportunities. But if you are not renewing because the Club didn't meet your expectation and you would like to tell me and share with the Committee so we can review then send me a confidential email.

Last on the membership front, the Club prefers EFT payments and to make Treasurer Bob's life much easier please include the invoice number and as much of your surname as will fit in the description box. Don't do EFT and want to help Australia Post? Then let Mike know by email or carrier pigeon before your access to the website and emails are cut off in early March :(

What's On has plenty of events but not reflected in the number of participants. The Committee encourages rides and can put yours up on the calendar for other members to register to, but each event does need a coordinator. Thinking of an event? Then you only need send some basic details to rides@bmwmccact.org.au including your name and email, event date & time, location of event/ride and basic description. Don't want your personal email 'out there', no problem we can give you a name@bmwmccact.org.au one for the event.

Club member recent events include the Phillip Island Classics, Binalong Club Meeting, pre-GS Safari night at Rolfe's, Karuah River Rally (Dungog way) and last weekend's ride to Blue Waterholes.

On the way to Blue Waterholes, seeing but not twigging to or stopping at a Hi-Vis jumper 'beacon', my GS exhaust roused the owner of a broken down Hi Lux camped well off the main track who ran out to the following Glynn and David who did stop and his certain rescue. Well confirmed the diagnosis of fuel pump fault before collecting his name, details and GPS location and passing these on to another 4WDer that in-turn radioed NSWNPWS for field assistance. A job well done and goes to show you do not have to go very far to be remote in Australia.

All of these events made great riding over a mix of roads, different accommodation or just for the day. On the road suggestions included one factor in non-participation was the lack of ride grading. Look for this on future events and let me know what you think but the rider is responsible for their own skills assessment and participation in any event.

Mark Saturday 30 March on your calendar and 2019 BMWMCCACT Inc. Annual General Meeting (Club Event). This is your chance to participate in and contribute to your Club and I encourage each of us to look how we can to help out. All Committee positions are declared vacant and nomination forms are on the event website. There's even the encouragement of free food and drink (yes, with limits). The formalities are kept to a minimum so there won't be any long speeches. But it is a procedural requirement for our continuing incorporation.

The following weekend has a (TBC) joint BMWTCNSW and our Club get together in Mallacoota Vic. The NSW Tourer's have the lead on this event so keep an eye on What's On as this event planning evolves. Our last get together in Bermagui NSW was a great success.

That's it from me for another month. Check out What's On, register to an event, spot the website page changes, give me & committee feedback, lead a ride and make the most of your membership with the Club - it only happens because of you.